The plundge into Shadow
by Demonelf
Summary: You hear of Soras part in kindom hearts and you know that Riku falls. This is how he falls. Discontinued
1. Choices of Shadow

Chapter one: Choices of Shadow

I've been having these weird thoughts lately…

…

…

…

Like are there other worlds out there? And if so, why are we on this one?

…

…

…

My eyes snap open. Looking around, I find myself on my island, on the white shore. I spot someone in the water, facing away from the island. I recognize the messy brown hair and yell his name. I step towards him, ready to feel the sea splash around my feet. Instead, it pulls away and up, in the form of a gigantic wave. My brown haired friend turns to me, his back now to the wave, and reached a hand to me. In horror I leap forward, yelling at him. Just as I touch his hand, the wave crashes down on us, tearing me away from him. No matter how hard I struggle, I cannot quite reach him. I get pulled away and head up for air.

I blast up through the waters surface, gasping. I find myself again beside the shore of my island, in perfect order. I see her at the shore. She calls to me soundlessly and I struggle forward. We smile at one another, her giggling as well. Then she looked over my shoulder and her face became confused. I turn around, and my eyes widen as I see myself falling through the air. It was then the ground falls out from under me, sending me falling into a wave. The water slowly turned into sky as I see myself beside her at the shore before crashing into the water yet again. I feel myself falling through the water like air and am tipped forward.

I open my eyes as I feel a solid surface under my feet. I see nothing but darkness and step forward uneasily. The darkness around my feet leapt into the air and transformed into white birds. Their wings beat and a light shines through the floor, exposing a picture of a woman.

**_So much to do… So little time… take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut. Step forward._**

That voice! So familiar… so calming… I step forward, trusting the voice.

**_There is a power in your soul. When it takes shape, it will give you strength. What is its shape?_**

I look around at the pedestals that had formed. They each bore a weapon, one a sword, one a shield, and the other a staff. I head for the sword, knowing its power.

**_Power of the warrior_****_ Invincible courage_**_** A sword of terrible destruction**__** Your path is set.**_

_**But what would you give in exchange? **_

This I hesitated at. I felt a strange reluctance about the shield. It was like it didn't belong.

_**Power of the guardian**_**_ Kindness to aid friends_**_** A shield to protect all.**_

_**You have chosen the path of the warrior.**__** You have given up the power of the guardian.**_

_**You have gained the power to fight!**_

Before me, some strange creatures appeared. Their skin was black, their eyes like yellow lamps. Instantly the sword appeared in my hand. I jab forward at the nearest creature. The blade caught it in the head and it faded, the others fleeing.

_**Alright! You got it. There are times where you will have to fight. Keep your light burning strong.**_

**_BEHIND YOU!_**

At this, I spun around, sword first. It caught another of those creatures in the middle. But as it fell, the ground beneath me shattered. I fell slowly down to another platform. Landing lightly, I found myself facing a door. I tried to grip the handle but my hand passed through the door.

"I can't open it…"

_**Hold on. The door wont open yet… First, tell me more about yourself **_

A flash of light startled me. As it faded, I found myself on the ship of the island. Around me stood three of my friends. I turned and strode up to the blond one.

"What are you afraid of?" The boy asked cheerfully.

"Being indecisive." I stated. The girl poked my shoulder.

"What is important to you?"

"My friends." I said softly. The red haired boy threw up his blue ball and asked:

"What do you want out of life?"

"To broaden my horizons!" I cheered.

**_Your adventure will begin at Dawn._**_** As long as the sun is shining,**__** Your journey should be a pleasant one.**_

Darkness overtook me once again. When it passed I found myself at yet another platform. A beam of light shot down to the platform from above. I slowly approached it, scowling slightly.

_**The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.**_

**_But do not be afraid._**

Sounds behind me caught my attention. I looked and found nothing but my shadow. It was stepping away from me, and growing up from the ground. I leapt back in surprise.

**_And do not forget. _**

I stumbled back from the creature forming. The sword appeared in my hand again.

**_You hold the mightiest weapon of all…_**


	2. To open your heart

Chapter two: To Open Your Heart

"Whoa!" A silver haired boy bolted strait up in his bed. His blue eyes flickered left and right, searching. They scanned across the slightly fluttering curtains, over the clothes tossed everywhere and over the collection of shells. The boy slipped out of his bed and walked over to the open window. Again he looked at the beach that he had seen for fifteen years. The same ocean, the same trees. He would escape from this island; he would see other worlds. With a harsh snap! the window was closed, hiding the view from the boy's sight.

That morning, the silver haired teen strolled down the beach, waiting for the usual morning routine to begin. His wooden sword was held loosely in his right hand, and his muscles were tense. A shout alerted the teen, and he deftly deflected a blue ball back to the bushes of which it had sprung out. He heard a gruff hey and leapt forward, ramming into a red haired teenager. A blond haired boy was rolling quickly away from the silver haired teen. A clip of wood sounded behind the silver haired teen and a brown haired girl threw her nunchaku forward. A few moments later, the silver haired teen stood with the three others tied before him with the nunchaku rope.

"Riku!" The blond wined. "Let us go!" The silver haired teen laughed.

"Why should I? This is the third attempt this week!" Riku crossed his arms. "Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, you all should know by now… I'll always beat you three!" The three teens sighed.

"We should go after Sora." Wakka said. "He's much easer to sneak up on, ya?" Riku nodded in agreement.

"Say, have you seen him today?" Riku asked, freeing the three.

"No… He's probably off with Kairi somewhere…" Selphie said, her eyes glazed as she looked at Riku. "Maybe in the secret place. That's such a romantic spot." The three boys glanced at each other, forcing snickers down.

"You may be right." Riku managed to say. He turned from the others. "See you all later!" Giving a quick wave, he charged off for the secret place. "Sora? Kairi?" He stumbled down the path, ducking low as not to hit his head on any of the branches. He came out into the cave part, the wind blowing through the hole in the caves roof. The two were not there. But as Riku turned to leave, he heard something over by the strange brown door that had always been there.

_This world is no different._

"What?" Riku spun around, looking for the person who owned the voice.

_It can be tied to the darkness._

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

_Can be eclipsed like all the others…_

"Eclipsed? By what?" Riku's voice rose.

_You understand so little_.

"Show yourself!" Riku ordered. A cloaked figure appeared near the door.

_Open your heart. If you do so, you will open the path to another world…_

"How.. how did..?" Riku sputtered. His blue eyes flashed with confusion and anger. How did this… Stranger!… know what Riku wanted?

_Open your heart! Open the door!_ The figure faded as footsteps rang in the cave. Riku snapped around, his eyes catching the looks on his friend's faces.

"Who were you talking to Riku?" Kairi asked, smiling slightly.

"No one." Riku shrugged. Sora flailed around a wooden sword.

"How bout a spar? I'll beat you today for sure!" The burnet exclaimed. Riku crossed his arms and laughed.

"Seriously doubt that." Kairi laughed as Sora glared at Riku. "But I have a better idea." Riku's eyes flashed. "Would you like to see other worlds?"

"That would be awesome!" Sora smiled. Kairi looked curious.

"Then lets build a raft.." Riku nodded as he said this. "Get off this island." The other two cheered.

"Lets build it by the cove." Kairi said. Sora did thumbs up and smiled.

"We'll need rope, logs, a sheet and a lot of food." Riku stated.

"Right!" The other two said toughly, but the expression was ruined for Sora as he yawned. Kairi and Riku glanced at one another. He was doomed…

Later that day, Riku walked around the slightly forested area, slowly heading towards the two brown haired teens. He kept an ear open to their conversation.

"Whoa!" Sora had sat up on the sand, just woken up by Kairi. He laughed slightly. "Gimme a break, Kairi."

"Sora, you lazy bum. I knew I'd find you snoozing down here." Riku silently agreed.

"No! This huge black thing swallowed me up! I couldn't move, I couldn't… ouch!" Kairi had bonked Sora on the head. Riku scowled. That dream sounded familiar…

"Are you still dreaming?" Kairi laughed.

"It wasn't a dream! Or was it? I don't know." Sora looked out over the water. "What was that place? So bizarre.."

"Yeah , sure." Kairi laughed again. Well, she didn't know how realistic that dream was. Riku bent to grab a log and hefted it over his shoulder.

"Say, Kairi. What was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up." Sora asked. Kairi walked forward to look over the ocean.

"I told you before , I don't remember." Riku sighed. He had hoped that maybe this time…

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

"You ever want to go back?" Sora continued to prod.

"Uh… well, I'm happy here." Kairi said, attempting to avoid the question.

"Really?" Sora sounded put out at her non-answer.

"But you know… I wouldn't mind going to see it." That's what Sora was aiming for.

"I'd like to see it too. Along with any other worlds out there." He said very quickly. "I want to see them all!" Kairi turned back to Sora.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She said, jumping slightly. Riku strode forward, flipping the log off his shoulder.

"Hey," He queried. "Arent you guys forgetting about me?" He shifted. "So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft." He stepped forward, flipping the log onto Sora. He wagged his finger at Kairi. "And you are just as lazy as he is." Kairi laughed.

"So you noticed." Riku sighed down onto the sand next to Sora. "Okay, we'll finish it together." Sora pushed the log off himself. "I'll race you!" The two boys tensed up, but kept a cool cover.

"Huh?" Sora looked up at Kairi.

"What? Are you kidding?" Riku sighed.

"Ready?" She called. "GO!" The two teen boys leapt up and charged down the beach, neck and neck. Kairi laughed behind them, running as fast she could. The supplies for the raft were quickly gathered and the raft was soon put together.

The sunset found the three friends draped over the paopu tree. Riku was leaning against the trunk, where Sora and Kairi were sitting on the odd bend of the tree. Sora looked around Kairi at Riku.

"So, Kairi's homes out there somewhere, right?"

"Could be." Riku answered. "We'll never know by staying here."

"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora questioned again.

"Who knows?" Riku answered with his own question. "If we have to, we'll think of something else."

"So," Kairi piped up. "Suppose you get to another world, what would you do there?"

"Hmm… I hadn't really thought about that." Riku said slowly. "Its just… I've always wondered why we are here on this island. If there are other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds. Then ours is just a part of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily have ended up somewhere else, right?" He glanced over at the other two. Sora fell back on the tree.

"I don't know." He said to the sky.

"Exactly." Riku said triumphantly. "That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here wont change a thing. It's the same old stuff." Deeply he said, "So lets go."

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi asked quietly.

"Thanks to you." Riku said, standing and turning to Kairi. Sora shot Riku a nasty look. "If you hadn't come here, I probably wouldn't have thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks." Kairi giggled. Riku asked himself: Why do girls giggle so much?

"Your welcome." She said, leaping off the tree. She started down the bridge to the main island. Riku and Sora followed slowly.

"Sora!" Riku called. Sora paused and turned, caught by surprise by the fruit heading towards his face. He caught it. "You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku asked, tipping his head slightly to the side.

"A paopu fruit?" Sora queried.

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined." Riku said, walking past Sora. "They become a part of each others life, no matter what." He called back over his shoulder, waving. "C'mon, I know you want to try it." Sora blinked and flushed slightly pink.

"What are you t-talking --?" He sputtered. Riku laughed and ran off.


	3. Highwind

Chapter three: Highwind

"Hey, Sora!" Riku yelled. It was the next day. Riku stood beside the entrance to the cove area. Sora was beside the raft, glancing around for Kairi. He ran over at Riku's call.

"Yeah?"

"Our raft still needs a name. Lets see… How about Highwind? What would you call it?" Sora scowled for a second.

"Um… I'd call it Excalibur."

"Hey, how 'bout…?" Riku started, smiling.

"The usual?" Sora challenged.

"Let's do it!" Riku was more then ready. Kairi chose that moment to run over the plank bridge.

"You two at it again? All right; I'll be the judge." Kairi strode over and pointed to their left. "The usual rules apply: taking any route you want… first to tag the star tree and make it back here wins." She explained. She turned to Sora. "State your terms."

"If I win… eh… I'm captain." He said, beating his chest once. Riku knew just what would get under his friends skin.

"And if I win, I get to share the paopu with Kairi." He readied himself, waving at Kairi to begin the countdown.

"Huh? Wai… wait a moment!" Sora sputtered. Kairi rose her hand.

"All right. On my count."

"Wait!"

"Three, two…"

"I said…!"

"One… Go!" Riku charged forward, gaining a ten-step lead on Sora. He headed past the ladder, deciding to run the whole way. Sora started up the ladder as fast as he could. When Sora jumped off, he had managed to gain ground on Riku. They smacked the tree at the same moment and charged off, weaving through palm trees. Once on the plank bridge, Riku jumped over the weak point. Sora forgot this and fell through, into the shallow ocean. Riku laughed as he strolled next to Kairi. Sora leapt up, his face disgruntled.

"Man lighten up. It's just a game after all." Riku said as he placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. Sora shot the silver haired teen a look. "Oh… the paopu thing… Heh, that was just a joke! You should have seen your face! Ha!" Riku laughed and Sora's face brightened. "Kairi is over by the raft now… she is in charge of the food. You should get your orders. I've already finished mine." Sora nodded and left for the raft. Riku slipped off to the secret place again to investigate.

The cave was exactly the same as he had left it. The door was still shut. Remembering the voice from yesterday, he pondered over the words.

"Open my heart… would that get me off this island?"

_It could…_

"How?"

_Open your heart, seek the darkness._

"Show me how."

That night, Riku paced his room. His mind reviewed over everything that had happened earlier. The cloaked figure was strange, but he had escaped from another world. Open his heart? Seek the dark? Riku still didn't understand what the man had said, but he knew he would soon… or so he hoped. A flash of lightning caught Riku's eye.

"A storm?" He whispered, his nose brushing against the glass. "Not a normal one… So that's the darkness I need to seek." He glanced over at his door. His parents didn't care about him anyway, so they wouldn't miss him… Riku was soon out the window, falling into the sea. The paopu tree island seemed like the best place to watch the storm, so Riku swam for it. Once on the island, he gaped at a purple and red sphere above him.

"What is… The door?" The sphere started to give enough light to see perfectly by. Riku looked down as he saw Sora running down the bridge towards him.

"Riku? Where's Kairi?" Sora sounded frightened. "I thought she was with you!"

"The door has opened!" Riku called.

"What?" Sora sounded unnerved now.

"The door has opened Sora." Riku repeated. "Now we can get out."

"What are you talking about! We have to find Kairi!" Sora yelled back over the wind. His blue eyes were frantic.

"Kairi's coming with us. Once we step through, we might never be able to come back." Riku repeated the words of the cloaked figure. "We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be out only chance. We can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the dark!" The last phrase Riku bellowed.

"Riku…" Sora said quietly. Riku smiled just as darkness sprang from the ground to engulf the two friends. Sora panicked and struggled. Riku stood, waiting calmly for the darkness to take him. He heard a strange pulsing in his ears.

_Keyblade master… fallen darkness… Keyblade…_Riku shook his head and was fully engulfed. He was getting out… he was nearly free…

AN: The last part was odd… I know. About Riku's parents, I assumed much when I typed this. We hear nothing about them. So my theory is that Riku never truly was cared for, or else why would he just cast them aside so easily? Also, he seemed so attached to Kairi and Sora, like he was trying to find companionship. Please review for me, I would love to hear feedback.

If the chapters seem short to you, don't worry. They get longer, I think. flips franticly through notebook Err.. at least the next chapter is a little longer, and I'm sure I have a seven-page chapter in there somewhere. (seven in the notebook may be about four pages on word…)

The next chapter goes off the script. I have been so far following it very closely, but the next drifts. Alright? '


	4. The darkness begins to offer

Chapter four: The Darkness Begins to Offer

"Ungh… Huh?" Riku opened his blue eyes. He saw waterfalls. Waterfalls falling… up? He pushed himself up to his knees, thinking that maybe he had hit his head really hard. He looked at the sky. Never had he seen that shade of purplish-red on the isla… wait. Was he even on the island? He ran his hands on the cold stone under him. Never had he felt such smooth stone, or such cold stone before. Was he on another world? Riku's thoughts were disrupted by footsteps.

A woman approached, with her pride and ugliness. She was dressed in all black and held a staff in a claw-like hand. Her steps were semi-graceful and when she stopped before Riku, he began to appreciate her extreme height.

"Well, well. A new dark comer." The woman chanted. Riku doubted if she could do anything but chant, the way she was speaking now. "Welcome to Hollow Bastion."

"Hollow Bastion? So I am in a new world!" Riku leapt up, his head almost hitting her jaw. Perhaps she wasn't that tall.

"You are." She said, her dark eyes glaring at Riku. Riku gave her an inquiring look. "I am Maleficent. Keeper of the castle here at Hollow Bastion." She gestured to the right. Riku traced the roof of the castle with awe, his sky blue eyes wide.

"Whoa… I-uh-I' Riku." _I made it! I'm on another world! Why am I on this one? How many others are there? Where are Sora and Kairi?_ Riku looked around, searching for the two brown haired teens. "Sora? Kairi?" He returned his icy gaze on Maleficent. "Have you seen two others appear here too? They are about the same height, just a little … you haven't." Riku recognized that look in Maleficent's eyes. His father had gotten it every time Riku asked a question.

"Only those destined for great things come here." She chanted, raising a hand over Riku's head. Riku ducked away.

"Whatever…" _Did Sora and Kairi get off?_ Maleficent ran a finger along Riku's jaw. Riku jerked his head away from her hand.

"Don't worry, Dark comer. If you really want, that darkness will help you find them." Her voice became almost loving, but not for Riku. "Darkness can do extraordinary things!" Riku looked darkly at the ground.

"Maybe."

"Come. I shall show you your room." Riku fought the urge to scowl. A castle had many rooms. She couldn't have known he was coming. He lost his train of thought when Maleficent conjured a large dark portal. She motioned for him to enter. Riku did so.

It felt like being sucked down a tight tube really fast. When Riku stumbled out of the portal, he nearly fell into the wall. He blinked as he caught sight of a bouncing shadow. It looked like a larger version of the one in his dream. Riku stumbled away from it, smacking into Maleficent again.

"What is that thing?"

"That is a heartless." Maleficent chanted softly. "That is a creature of the darkness, and one of the many minions I control." It bobbed slightly again, its lamp yellow eyes gazing up at Maleficent. She waved her hand and it disappeared.

"Here is the room you will be staying in. There are other guests here. Enjoy your stay. It may be longer then you think." Riku scowled at the green door that Maleficent had gestured at. He heard her footsteps fade and turned away from the door. His eyes focused on the nearest shadow. He cautiously poked it. Nothing happened. Satisfied, Riku went into the room.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Dawn greeted Riku as he began to wander the castle's corridors. He met many more heartless creatures, their size ranging from a small blob, which were called shadows, to large blind heartless, named defenders. The castle was interesting enough, but Riku searched for any sign of either Sora or Kairi. He kept an eye on Maleficent and the strange meetings she attended. Thin as he was, he found a small passage that lead inside the chambers where the meetings were held. A convenient notch was right outside the passage. Word about Sora and Kairi came three days after Riku had first appeared in the Rising Falls.

"Your no prize yourself!" Riku yawned. Even Halloween Town's Oggie-Boogie's voice couldn't lighten the dullness of this meeting.

"Shut up!" Cried Hook, the Capitan of a pirate crew in Neverland. Riku was about to doze off again when Maleficent spoke.

"Enough." She chanted in a leaders voice. "Will he be the one to conquer the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow him? Either way, he could be quite useful." Riku slipped his head around the corner to gaze at the witches back. She moved aside, exposing a hologram of three people. One was a duck, the second a dog. The one that caught Riku's eye was the hologram of Sora.

_They know where I can find him!_ Riku realized.

After the meeting, Riku confronted Maleficent.

"I know you have a way to go to other worlds." Maleficent looked surprised, but quickly masked it with a smile.

"Of course I do. But why do you want to go to another world, dark follower?"

"I want to find my friends."

"You'll need a little bit of training with the darkness before you go anywhere though."

"Why?" Riku tried not to snap at the witch. He didn't really like her and couldn't seem to get used to her. Maleficent leaned over and tapped his chest. A green light flashed up around him, and Riku forced himself to look calm, though he could feel his eyes widen.

"When you need it, you will be able to conjure it."

"Conjure what?" Maleficent only smiled softly, which infuriated Riku. She griped his shoulder and propelled him into a dark room. The door behind him clipped shut dangerously. "What the-?" A glob of deeper darkness flashed over his sight and Riku leapt back from the blob. It was a Darkball. More Darkballs floated behind the one before Riku. The Darkball nearest Riku charged at him and he stumbled back, his hand razing before his face in an attempt to defend himself. A small flash of red signaled an increase in weight in Riku's hand. The Darkball flew over Riku as he fell away from it. He glanced briefly at the sword in his hand before attacking the Darkball with a quick swipe.

Riku took little time to defeat the rest of those in that room and went to the door. It creaked open loudly and Maleficent stood at the doorway.

"It is called the Soul Eater." Maleficent chanted. Riku held up the blade to really look at it. It had the appearance of a bat or dragon wing. Half of the blade was red and the other half was a deep purple. On the hilt was a teal gem that had the appearance of a cat eye. As he lowered his hand, it disappeared.

"Soon you'll be able to leave."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

A few more meetings past by quite uneventfully. Riku kept a sharp ear out for another hint of Sora. His trainings went by quickly. He learned quickly, exploiting the weakness of every heartless he met. Finally, after a week more past, the Visor from Agrabah started on a subject that caught Riku's interest.

"What drew the heartless to that world?" Jafar, the visor, asked. Riku stiffened in his notch.

"The hunter drew them there." Maleficent stated sternly. She seemed to have a hint of concern in her voice, maybe unmasked by the fact she wasn't chanting. "It was his lust for power that was the bait." Her chant was back. "Bit it seems that the bait was too tasty for his own good." Oggie-Boogie laughed.

"Yeah. He got chomped instead." Jafar scoffed from over the bag of bugs' laugh.

"A weak hearted fool like him stood no chance against the heartless. But the boy's a problem." Riku's ears sharpened. "He found one of the Keyholes."

"Fear not." Maleficent adopted the leader tone again. "It'll take him ages to find the rest. Besides, he remains blissfully unaware of our other plans."

Again Riku confronted Maleficent just after the meeting.

"You will tell me where Sora is. Now." Riku growled. How dare she keep that from him when he had been so straightforward with her? Her eyes flashed.

"Its true that I know where he is. But he cares for you no longer." She chanted softly. Riku didn't like the glint she had in her eyes.

"Whatever." Riku shook off her lie. "Just tell me where he is."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

AN: What do you think? hides fearfuly behind chair Its the first chapter that realllllly bridges off from what the KH game tells us. I have got some plans for Riku that I hope you'll like.Pleeeeeeease review?


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